NEWSTRACK
MARCH
2008
After the box office failure of The Golden Compass, plans to
film The Silver Dibber and The Bronze Control-Description Holder have been
abandoned
Newstrack is the magazine of
Editor: Neil Forrest, 40 Riber View, Close, Tansley, Matlock,
Derbyshire DE4 5HB
Tel: (01629) 583899
email:
neil.forrest899@btinternet.com
Welcome to the March issue of Newstrack. By now the ‘o’ year
is well underway with a range of events to test all grades of competitor. It is
worth remembering that events happen because clubs organise them, negotiating
land access and preparing and updating maps. This requires a lot of volunteer
time that proves the old adage that the more you put in the more you get out.
DVO member Peter Bourne who died suddenly in late February was someone who
epitomised this philosophy, Peter got a lot out of orienteering but he put a
lot in as well.
Readers of British
Orienteering’s magazine ‘Focus’ may have registered the new vision for the
sport encapsulated in the slick marketing acronym MP3. This stands for more
people, places and podiums (or should that be podia? – your editor’s pedantry
is ever challenged by Latinate plurals). Always willing to engage in flights of
fancy I envisage the club pursuing the last MP with a special purchase of
lightweight, all terrain podia that individuals can buy or hire and climb onto
whenever they feel good about themselves. These could be known as I Pods!
This Newstrack is a bumper
edition thanks to all your articles. Keep them coming – next issue due out late
June. The April arrival of this March issue is due to the excellent local
printer man going on an Easter holiday.
Neil Forrest
DVO FUTURE
OPEN MEETINGS
Wednesday April 9. Run from Belper Sports Centre 6.30 pm.
Meeting
Wednesday July
9 National Stone Centre,
Run
6.30 pm. Meeting 7.30 pm.
Club
Officials you may need to contact:
Chair : Ranald Macdonald. Tel. 01629 734307; e.mail r.macdonald@shu.ac.uk
Secretary : Helen Finlayson. Tel 01629 583899; e.mail neilentansley@yahoo.co.uk
Fixtures Secretary : John
Armstrong. Tel 01335 348238 e.mail armstrongjm@talk21.com
Coaching Co-ordinator : Val
Johnson Tel. 01773 824754 e.mail
Gmjandfam@aol.com
Club Captain : Graham Johnson Tel. 01773 824754 Gmjandfam@aol.com
It was with great sadness and
shock that we all heard of the sudden death of Peter Bourne at the end of
February. Peter had suffered from a heart condition for quite a while but it
was only the week before that many us saw the happy smiling face and engaged in
light-hearted banter with him at Beaudesert. He will be sorely missed by the
Club as he put a lot of time into Controlling and helping and was due to
Control at Crich Chase the week after he died. We have to thank Mike Godfree
for standing in. Our thoughts are with
Ros, Simon, Chris and the family and they have agreed to us dedicating a Club
Trophy to Peter’s memory. The
Missing from Crich were Liz
Godfree and Paul Addison who had been selected to run for
The evening before Crich Chase
saw the annual Club Dinner at Wirksworth Town Hall with catering yet again by
DVO Catering (Fairly) Limited – Val
Johnson, Viv and me. Over 80 people came and hopefully enjoyed
themselves – the kids certainly sounded as if they did! We were also pleased to
welcome Mike Hamilton, BOF Chief Executive and his wife, Jill, Pauline and
David Olivant, Steve and Margaret Buckley, and Jenny and Alan Shaw. Awards were
made to Paul Addison as DVO Orienteer of the Year, Harriett Lawson (Junior
Oienteer of the Year) the Gordon Family (Most Enthusiastic Newcomers) and Fiona
Sellar (Most Improved Orienteer). The assembled throng also awarded the Sports
Personality of the Year to Graham Johnson (again), though Ben Berrisford and
Zoe Gordon gave him a close run, and the Newstrack Editor, Neil Forrest,
awarded Journalist of the Year to Paul Wright.
In the lead up to the JK at
Easter and the British Orienteering Championships in Scotland in April there is
plenty of orienteering going on, including our own local and district events.
Unfortunately, we got knocked out of the CompassSport Cup but it was good to
see so many of you turning out to represent the Club.
There will be an Open Meeting on
Wednesday 9th April at which I will present some proposed changes to
the constitution and report on issues discussed at the recent committee
meeting, including a change to the Club Championship format to award trophies
for the fastest er the line in each category.
It can be somewhat invidious to
pick out one individual as so many of you contribute so much time and energy to
keeping the Club fit and healthy. However, I particularly like to highlight
some of the things Paul Wright has been doing, including getting our equipment
in order – hopefully everyone has noted with admiration our new event signs and
banners – making sure Club news appears in the local media, and instigating the
Woodland Regeneration Project at Littlemoor Woods, ably project managed by Tony
Berwick and assisted by a small, but enthusiastic, group of volunteers. This
will give us access to an attractive new wood which we have already seen at a
couple of events. Paul is also co-ordinating an event for the Club’s 40th
anniversary in 2009 – more to follow.
Also, thanks to Ann-Marie
Duckworth, Val Johnson and Steve Kimberley for re-vamping the summer evening
events which, together with some more Street Os, should provide some variety
over the next few months. There are many more I could thank but the message is
that a Club is only as good as the people who volunteer and compete, i.e. YOU.
Hopefully in my next Thoughts I
will be able to report on our successes at the major events of the year and
look forward to the foreign trips that many of us are planning for the summer.
Ranald Macdonald
Peter Bourne
Where does acquaintanceship end
and friendship begin? Since we heard the
sad news of Peter’s death I have been reviewing our friendship looking for the
magic moment and have concluded that it was at the French 5 Days in 2003. A casual remark about where we were staying
close to the beach and Ros’s wish for a swim led to Ros and Pete coming to our
apartment. From that little beginning
developed our firm friendship. I have
got to realise Pete’s deep commitment to orienteering as more than a sport but
a way of life. In all of the walks we
took together the subject inevitably got round to orienteering and he
demonstrated not only his interest in the immediacy of the latest course but
all of the rules, guideline and ‘politics’ of British Orienteering.
He was the controller for two of
the events that Jen and I planned and we found his attention to the details of the controller’s task to be just
what is required to make the event a success for all competitors. The advice and assistance he provided to us
as planners was first class and will benefit us long into the future. I am sure Peter always had this aim of
developing the sport through the people he was influencing.
Peter’s heart problems stopped him running competitively but
it did not keep him out of the forest.
His home in
We lost a good friend when Peter
died and orienteering lost a major contributor.
This loss is of course insignificant compared with that felt by the
family and our thoughts go out to Ros and the family.
Derek Gale
(There was a collection at the Crich
event in memory of Peter which raised £80 for
Captain’s
Slog
Only two months into the year but already, the CompassSport
Cup is, for DVO anyway, history, the JK relay teams have been entered and the
British Relays are an irrelevance for all but a very few. Nothing to this Club Captain’s lark – my
successor, a mere six months away, please take note.
Last year, I took DVO to task for its lacklustre
CompassSport performance at Greno Woods, but this year represented a massive
improvement – though we still got knocked out, we were only 180 points off the
winners compared with 370 in 2007.
Special mention must be made of Ben Beresford who scored a maximum 100
points, coming first on Orange, and of John Duckworth and Michelle Mackervoy
who rolled back the years to register 8th places on Brown Men and
Blue Women against the likes of the mighty Johnsons, Oli and Jenny (sadly no
relation).
We’ve managed 18 relay teams at the JK, which I think is a
record – prove me wrong, saddoes. The
classes entered and the members included are all on the website so I’m not
going to repeat them here. No doubt,
there’ll be someone I’ve forgotten or someone who selfishly gets themselves
injured so I won’t be finalising the teams until about five minutes before the
deadline as per usual - the downside of entering 54 members is that I have to
copy out 54 BOF and E-card numbers on the team declaration forms.
Graham Johnson, Club Captain
An orienteer associated with the
club has recently queried the current status of categories of membership and
asked the committee to review it. The committee did this at a recent meeting
and this article attempts to explain and clarify the position.
The club’s constitution states
that it is affiliated to the national body – British Orienteering. The club has therefore adopted the membership
categories currently advocated by this body.
There are three categories of
membership – DVO national, DVO local and social.
DVO national. This is the full subscription giving membership to British
Orienteering, the East Midlands Orienteering Association and DVO. It entitles
you to any discounted rate of entry fee at events and the ability to compete in
the British Championships. You can take
part in open meetings of each body, stand for office and become an event
official. You will receive communication material from each of the bodies plus
other benefits detailed on the relevant websites.
Current subscription rates
are: senior - £20.50; junior
- £4.85; family - £28.00.
DVO local. This rate of subscription gives all the same benefits as
above except that your event entry discount will only apply in the
Current rates are : senior - £10.60; junior - £1.00; family - £17.00.
Social
This category caters for those
who wish to identify with the club but who may be members of other clubs or are
not currently fully active in orienteering. You will be able to enter events
that have an open entry up to Regional level together with the DVO closed club
championships but you will not be eligible for entry fee discounts. You can
attend DVO open meetings but not vote; assist with the organisation of events;
attend club training and social activities and receive a copy of
Newstrack. Current rate : £5.00.
Applications for membership can
be made directly through British Orienteering or through the club secretary.
N.B. to claim your event entry
discount you must show your current membership card when entering at an event,
so carry it around with your essential equipment and be polite to officials
asking to see it. On – line entries require you to quote your membership number
for a discount. It also helps entry processing if you write your membership
number on the entry form given out at entry on the day events.
Any
queries regarding this article should be directed to the club chairman.
DVO Diary
Dates
For full details see www.dvo.org.uk.
Events and venues can change at short notice. Please confirm before you set off.
Wed 2
Apr |
Belper
(Johnson's) |
Club
Training Night |
Fri 4
Apr |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Wed 9
Apr |
Belper
(Sports Centre/ Queen's
Head) |
Training
Run & Open Meeting |
Fri 11
Apr |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Wed 16
Apr |
Belper
(Johnson's) |
Club
Training Night |
Fri 18
Apr |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Sat 19
Apr |
|
Local
Event |
Wed 23
Apr |
Allestree
(Mackervoy's) |
Club
Training Night |
Fri 25
Apr |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Wed 30
Apr |
Belper
(Station Car Park at back of Somerfield) |
Night
Street-O |
Fri 2
May |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Wed 7
May |
Belper
(Johnson's) |
Club
Training Night |
Thu 8
May |
Belper
(Johnson's) |
Development
Committee Meeting |
Fri 9
May |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Wed 14
May |
Allestree
(Mackervoy's) |
Club
Training Night |
Fri 16
May |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Sun 18
May |
Hardwick
Hall |
District
Event |
Wed 21
May |
Belper
(Johnson's) |
Club
Training Night |
Fri 23
May |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Tue 27
May |
Belper
(Johnson's) |
Fixtures
Sub-Committee Meeting |
Wed 28
May |
Allestree
(Mackervoy's) |
Club
Training Night |
Fri 30
May |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Wed 4
Jun |
Belper
(Johnson's) |
Club
Training Night |
Fri 6
Jun |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Sat 07
Jun |
Ilam
Hall |
Summer
Series Local Event |
Wed 11
Jun |
Allestree
(Mackervoy's) |
Club
Training Night |
Thu 12
Jun |
Belper
(Johnson's) |
Committee
Meeting |
Fri 13
Jun |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Sat 14
Jun |
Ashbourne
? |
Footpath
Relay (to be confirmed) |
Sun 15
Jun |
Ashbourne
(Town Car Park / Godfree's) |
Summer
Series Street-O & Barbecue |
Wed 18
Jun |
Belper
(Johnson's) |
Club
Training Night |
Fri 20
Jun |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Sat 21
Jun |
Elvaston |
Summer
Series Local Event incorporating Schools Champs |
Sun 22
Jun |
Carsington |
District
Event |
Wed 25
Jun |
Allestree
(Mackervoy's) |
Club
Training Night |
Fri 27
Jun |
Sawmills
(Village Hall) |
Circuits
and Keep Fit |
Sun 29
Jun |
Allestree |
|
DVO has a
full calendar of events scheduled for the next year. Many thanks to those members who have been an
official for past events and to those who have volunteered for the coming year.
There are however a number of coming events that still offer opportunities to
assist.
The table below shows the officials who have been appointed
for the next year and, more importantly, the vacancies which we still need to
fill. Please consider volunteering to
fill a vacancy by contacting our fixtures secretary John Armstrong:-
Email: armstrongjm@talk21.com Phone:
01335-348238
Please give it a try even if you have no previous
experience. The C5 events are suitable
for first timers as they are small scale.
We have experienced club members who will be willing to help you.
19-Apr-08 |
|
C5 |
O/P-Val Johnson. |
30-Apr-08 |
Belper
Street-O |
S5 |
O/P-Val Johnson. |
18-May-08 |
Hardwick |
C4 |
O-Dave Vincent, P-Liz Godfree, C-Ranald Macdonald. |
07-Jun-08 |
Ilam
Hall |
C5 |
O/P-Mark Spendlove |
15-Jun-08 |
Ashbourne
Street-O |
S5 |
ORGANISER/PLANNER
NEEDED. |
21-Jun-08 |
Elvaston |
C5 |
O-Ann-Marie Duckworth, P-Paul Armstrong. |
22-Jun-08 |
Carsington |
C4 |
O-Derek Bishton, P-James Allen, C-Paul Wright. |
29-Jun-08 |
Allestree
Street-O |
S5 |
ORGANISER/PLANNER
NEEDED. |
05-Jul-08 |
Darley
Parks |
C5 |
O/P-Val Johnson. |
13-Jul-08 |
Matlock
Street-O |
S5 |
O/P-Helen Finlayson, Neil Forrest |
17-Aug-08 |
Bakewell
Street-O |
S5 |
ORGANISER/PLANNER
NEEDED. |
07-Sep-08 |
Kedleston Note
new date |
C4 |
O-Brian Denness, P-Derek & Jen Gale. CONTROLLER NEEDED. |
20-Sep-08 |
Black
Rock |
C5 |
O-Val Johnson, P-Tony Berwick. |
28-Sep-08 |
Club
Champs Note
new date |
X5 |
O/P-Ranald Macdonald. |
18-Oct-08 |
Markeaton |
C5 |
O-Val Johnson, P-Michelle Mackervoy. |
16-Nov-08 |
Shining
Cliff |
C3 |
O-Sal Chaffey, P-John Armstrong, C-Mick Lucking (NOC). |
14-Dec-08 |
Whitesprings |
C4 |
O-Paul Beresford, P-Steve Kimberley, C-Brian Ward. |
01-Jan-09 |
Melbourne
Street-O |
S5 |
O/P-Doug |
31-Jan-09 |
Holmebrook |
C5 |
ORGANISER
AND PLANNER NEEDED. |
08-Feb-09 |
Lindop |
C4 |
ORGANISER,
PLANNER AND CONTROLLER NEEDED. |
07-Mar-09 |
|
C4 |
P-Steve Taylor. ORGANISER
AND CONTROLLER NEEDED. |
Events this year take place on a Saturday or Sunday with a
mixture of Street Score and Local Events all at bargain prices. All events will
feature pre-marked maps and where possible use Electronic Punching (SI). Summer
Series events are open to all and offer a good opportunity to practice
techniques.
Date |
Where? |
Event / Courses |
Parking |
Organiser/Planner |
How Much? |
7.6.08 |
Ilam Hall
and 10.30 –
11.30 |
White Score (45
mins) |
NT – SK132507 |
Mark
Spendlove |
£1.50 –
Seniors 50p - Juniors |
15.6.08 |
Ashbourne Mass Start
10.30 |
Street Score (1 Hour) |
Shawcroft
Car Park |
|
£1.50 –
Seniors 50p - Juniors |
21.6.08 |
Elvaston Start times
= 10.30 –12.00 |
Derbyshire
Junior Champs White to Light Green Score |
SK404332 |
O –
Ann-Marie Duckworth / Rachel Davis P - Paul Armstrong |
£3.00 –
Seniors £1.00 - Juniors |
29.6.08 |
Allestree Mass Start 10.30 |
Street Score (1 Hour) |
Park Farm
Shopping Centre |
|
£1.50 –
Seniors 50p - Juniors |
5.7.08 |
Start times 10.30 –
11.30 |
White Score (45
mins) |
SK353385 |
Val Johnson |
£1.50 –
Seniors 50p - Juniors |
13.7.08 |
Matlock Mass Start 10.30 |
Street Score (1 Hour) |
County Hall
car park, |
Helen
Finlayson Neil Forrest |
£1.50 –
Seniors 50p - Juniors |
Volunteers are still needed as planners and organisers for
these events – support can be arranged if needed, if you are considering having
a go at planning then this is a great way to start.
Contact Val Johnson 01773 824754 or gmjandfam@aol.com
Coaching Corner –
Going Live |
|
Coaching Corner will be at all
DVO events from now on offering members the opportunity of discussing courses
both before and after a run. Why not come
along and have a drink and biscuit. Bring your map, splits and discuss route
choices and techniques with club coaches and others who have run your course. Look out for
the tent at registration / assembly. |
|
CIRCUIT TRAINING
|
Goes Outdoors |
|
Starting Friday 4th April 7.00 – 8.00pm Free Parking at the top car park off Terrain Running, Hill Reps, Trains, just to name a few of
the ‘exercises’. Everyone welcome regardless of ability or fitness.Why not
come along and try it out. There’s no pressure. Go at your own pace. |
The Interland match is an annual competition in which
Pauline Ward, Paul Addison and I were selected to run for
Paul agreed to drive down to the bus pick up point ferrying
3 NOC juniors. It’s a long story but we
set off from Sandiacre with only 1 junior, had a 45 minute wait at junction 16
while the 2nd one caught up – the 3rd one was injured so
didn’t come.
A speedy trip down the M1 and round the M25 to Woking and we
were soon drinking mugs of tea chez Gristwood before boarding the coach which
would speed us on our way to Dover and the P&O ferry to Calais – the long
line of lorries delayed by the Sea France strike was truly amazing. We were soon en route to
We were on the road again by 9 a.m. on Saturday, with a
welcome leg stretch and a blustery 1½
hour break in
By early afternoon we had arrived at the Event Centre for
the middle distance race which we were using for training. Indoor toilet facilities were limited but
there was a large hall in which to change and the bar was patronized – no
Wilf’s!
The area, adjacent to that we’d be running on the following
day, was mixed open and runable wooded areas (bramble-free!). cut through with
open sandy tank tracks reminiscent of
A good carbo-loaded evening meal set us up for the following
day.
I always like it when the start is within a comfortable
walking distance of the car, or in this instance our overnight
accommodation. An English clothing
transfer from start to finish ensured I could stay warm till the last
minute. I had chosen to wear a Lifa
under my smart new Craft top but found it more useful for wiping away sweat
than keeping me warm.
Course combinations were such that D60 ran the same course
as D14. This was planned to light green
standard, perfectly correct for D14s but I found it somewhat
disappointing. The girls set off at 2
minute intervals from 9:30. I was the
first “ancient lady” at 10:00 and as such did overtake some juniors. Perhaps I should always run early for I found
I had fewer distractions, concentrated on what I was doing and so made none of
the “headless chicken” acts which are such regular occurrences for me.
This was a more runable forest with confusing open sandy
areas. A 2m. contour interval plus form
lines between meant that depressions and knolls were somewhat insignificant,
but after all this is
I raced round the 4km. course in 28 minutes, 3 minutes down
on the 1st W14, Lucy Butt of SARUM, and 6 minutes ahead of 2nd
placed Sheila Carey of OD.
Longer courses were obviously more challenging than mine for
some of the seniors had disappointing runs.
Paul Addison, however, on his first cap for
As usual
Thanks go to John Rye, England Team Manager, for
co-ordinating the weekend with military precision, to Philip (and Helen)
Gristwood, Chair of E.O.C. for supporting this match, providing car parking
(and iron rations for the return coach journey) and to DVO for supporting me
financially now that I am “unwaged”.
Finally I should like to add how impressed I was by the
confidence of the W14s, none of whom I had ever met before, who chatted happily
to me about our common course, comparing splits and explaining route
choices. Regional junior squads are
doing a grand job – these girls were aiming for championship at next weekend’s
National, the Lagganlia tour in the summer and the Start programme in another
year. They are very positive about their
orienteering and just as importantly are enjoying mixing with other juniors. I
know how important this social life was for both David and Chris. So long as we support and nurture these young
people orienteering in
Liz Godfree
Having been to the street orienteering event in
On
Sunday 3,000 orienteers converged on the sports centre in the Arsenale - about
60 from GB. The start and finish were on
the
The map is excellent - showing the difference between
covered and non covered alleyways, the stone fountains in the middle of the
squares, individual lamp posts and, of course, the bridges. On my 3.7 km course I went over 23 bridges.
Only one panicky moment at control 3 when the red circle covered up the street
and I wasn't totally sure if it was a dead-end. There are a lot of dead-ends
and some very narrow lanes, where you have to turn sideways to pass someone
else.
I
managed to keep in touch the whole way round and from the last control to the
Finish it was an exhilarating run along the
Viv Macdonald
(Congratulations
on some good performances. Ed.)
Biting Off More Than I Can Chew
You know you’re having a bad day when:
- you arrive at the New Chew event and find that the full
bottle of water you started out with is no longer full but its contents have
been absorbed by the spare set of clothing you’ve set aside in the bottom of
your bag;
- the woman behind you in the queue for the start kindly
offers to hook up the back of your rucksack and, in doing so, inadvertently puts
tension on the zip on the top so it gradually unzips as you’re running so that,
when you finally do stop for a much-needed drink from your (re-filled) water
bottle, not only has it fallen out, but you’ve also lost your beloved
Northampton Town hat that you’ve had through thin and thin for the best part of
twenty years (so if anyone finds a Northampton hat on Saddleworth Moor, you
know whose it is);
- having scored 120 points in the first hour, you fail to
score a single further point in the remaining 2 hours of your allotted time;
- having congratulated yourself for having nabbed one of
only three 50 point controls and having set out for another, you realise that,
not only are you not going to claim that second 50 pointer but you are also now
hours away from home with only 1 left;
- having spent half an hour, making no headway across
featureless, physically draining moorland, the prospect of an hour spent
battling a bitter, head-on gale on the A635 suddenly becomes an alluring
proposition;
- by the time you get back, your measly 120 points have been
eroded to a paltry 69 by penalties
(Footnote: the last time I did the New Chew, I retired, so
the above performance does actually represent an improvement; I am actually
getting better with age.)
Graham Johnson
As some of you are aware I
competed in the UK Microsoft challenge during June of last year as part of the
“Intelligent sport” world series, a sport that combines physical, strategy and
intelligence (not sure where I fit in then!!!). Most of the challenges involve
orienteering on varying scales of maps.
The week was a phenomenal one
where we were hoping to finish in the top half of the table, the whole concept
of the competition was new to us so it was a big learning curve, we finished
the event 4th out of 125 and secured a place at the world team challenge,
located in Nice - Cote d'Azur between 6th – 9th December; where the top
performing teams from around the world would compete for world team supremacy.
The team that comprised of 5
members from VT Group plc all arrived in Nice leaving the gloomy clouds of the
UK for the warm climate of the south of France. After booking into a fairly
plush hotel and having a relaxed lunch by the sea front we started preparing
for the coming event,
37 teams from around the world
had gathered together after qualifying from their national events. There
were about 12
The first event took us up into
the mountains surrounding Nice. We had five hours of gruelling exercise to
complete. The theme for the event was BMW cars. The task was to split into two
pairs and collect as many BMW's as possible. Not so simple though. First we had
to find tax, then insurance, (just to point out for those thinking I drove
everywhere, cars, tax and insurance were just codes and were replaced by an SI
box),prior to picking up the car and getting it back to the start before the
fuel ran out. We had to get to each point in a set
sequence which is tricky if you are splitting up and going off to
different points miles apart. Also one pair were running, the other were
cycling. Multiple mountains were climbed, and we had to keep our
concentration focussed the whole time, both to navigate to the correct
point, and to avoid stumbling over the treacherous rocky paths we were
attempting to run on. Our strategic thinking and close nit team paid off. After
travelling huge distances we always met up within minutes of each other and
racked up huge bonuses. We finished 4th in this event.
The next event was in
the Nice observatory grounds overlooking the city. It was a two hour night
event. The theme was star constellations, and involved running to star
information points and plotting the position of stars on a map of the
observatory grounds. Each constellation had to be gathered in one at a
time by running around the grounds. It was very difficult as each 'control' was
not labelled, the event was dependent on the accuracy of the plotting. Our
Navigation was excellent, not once losing ourselves in the twisting dark pathways
of the observatory woods. However, two small plotting mistakes cost us dearly
and we picked up some large penalties by collecting the wrong controls. Stage
result was twenty fifth place which dragged our fantastic start to an
overall position of ninth.
Not letting the night event get
us down we awoke the next morning bursting with energy and ready to take
anything thrown our way. The next event took us back into the mountains up an
alpine river. The team split into pairs again and started from opposite ends of
the course. One pair had to run for an hour through four different sections, up
and down the pathways on the side of the gorge. At the same time the other pair
were paddling down the fast flowing mountain river, negotiating rapids, and
shallows, at some points dragging the canoe over rocks. Both pairs met in the
middle and swapped over. To score big bonuses and not pick up penalties each
pair then had to beat the time set by their team mates in the first half. It
was highly strategic, the first half could have been taken slowly to be
cautious but the slower you went the larger your overall time would be. VT made
a very solid performance and each time was only minutes apart. Stage result was
20th but overall position remained in ninth place.
The last event took us down to the beach in the expensive
Villefranche-sur-mer bay. Here was the final stage of the event, with all still
to compete for. As we were surrounded by the mansions of the rich and famous
the theme was buying property.( SI Boxes) Again highly strategic and requiring
much co-ordination. The two and a half hour race was started with one person
from each team making a mad dash down to the sea and swimming out to a buoy
before receiving the course maps and info. We then had to run, swim, and kayak
to various points around the surrounding area. Starting off with an imaginary
budget we visited a land agent, architect and builder in this order picking the
points wisely as each had a different assigned value. The team was again split
into pairs and sent off to different locations co-ordinating our timing
effectively.
All in all with the
Training is now underway for the
2008 Microsoft UK Challenge to be held in
Paul Beresford
For any self-respecting DVO member, the start of a new year
is synonymous with a street event in a picturesque Derbyshire village, or
failing that, Belper. My 2008 got off to
a less than spectacular start when, having psyched myself up for a dash round
Bakewell, I was thwarted by an unfortunate absence of trainers – that’s the
problem with running, too much specialised equipment to remember.
When you commit a small faux
pas, you would ideally like, if it be noticed at all, for it to fade quickly
into the collective sub-conscious. I
therefore adopted a low-key policy, gallantly accompanying Kay and Doug on a
pedestrian sortie into the Bakewell precincts, collecting a disconsolate
control here and there.
Settling for an anonymous
position in the nether regions of the results, I congratulated myself on
successfully consigning this unfortunate episode to the annals. I was only slightly irked when Doug emailed a
photo of me and Kay standing on a bridge, each studying a map and giving every
indication of not having a clue where we were.
I was grateful at least that this joke at my expense would go no further
than a private email.
The first clue that my damage
limitation strategy had gone awry came when barely acquainted people I would
normally hurry past on the street started coming up to me, shaking my hand and
telling me their life stories solely on the pretext of having seen me featured
in the local paper. Wondering whether my
thinly-disguised genius and little-appreciated talents had at last received the
recognition they deserved, I almost shelled out hard-earned cash for the local
rag, but, at the last moment, was saved by spotting an edition in a pub. There, in the ironically titled Sports
Section, was the very same photograph, illustrating a report on the
For a few short weeks, I lived
the life of Pete Doherty – without the fun, drugs or Kate Moss obviously – as I
emerged from the house only rarely for fear of being stalked by some Heat
reporter or snapped by a paparazzo from the Ilkeston Advertiser. Eventually I managed to shrug off the shame
and stigma foisted upon me as I slowly reverted to what passes amongst other
people for a normal life.
Then, on my doormat fell the
latest edition of ‘Orienteering Focus’, British Orienteering’s national
magazine. My heart sank as I read on the
front cover that this featured an item on ‘Street Orienteering in
Derbyshire’. Suspecting the worse, that
in the small hours of the morning, a private member’s bill had sneaked itself
past Her Maj, requiring every report on a Derbyshire street event to be
accompanied by a reproduction of that wretched photograph, I turned with dread
to page 14 when, yes, there the thing was, like an embarrassing tattoo,
emblazoned at the top of the page. If
there was any hope that I might remain anonymous, a tribute to the Unknown
Orienteer, the accompanying account by serial hack, Paul Wright, not only
identified me to the blissful ignorant but also explained the reason for my
unaccustomed, statuesque appearance.
Most people, when they find themselves unwittingly illustrated in an
orienteering magazine, are at least making an attempt at action. My image will now forever be associated with
the sort of movement which inspired Rodin.
So, thanks, Paul. I have cancelled all event entries and any
competitive orienteering plans for the year lest, like the Elephant Man, I
shall be subjected to the cruel taunts and vile humiliations of those that I
used to regard as my peers, the little self-respect to which I once clung lying
shattered in a thousand pieces. I have
become the Heather Mills of orienteering.
Graham Johnson
On
retirement.
This is not another smug piece about the delights of earned
idleness but a reflection on the phenomenon known to many of us of not
completing an event we started. It was stimulated by a Nopesports blogger’s
comment following the club’s Longshaw event on Ros Bourne sacrificing her run
to see to the safety of a boy stuck in a bog. Our blogger expressed the view
that the results should identify Ros’s selfless behaviour rather than her
appearing as just another ‘retirement’. An alarming thought struck me that
there must be sad people out there who not only base their self esteem on who
they have beaten but who trawl the retirals lists to gloat on abject failure.
So why do competitors retire? Well the most common reason
must be the simple failure to find one or more controls and to give up
searching. This never happens to some people but some of us try to use it as a
learning experience and come back next time to try harder. Then it, is
rumoured, there are sensitive competitive types who when they realise they are
having a bad run would rather appear in an enigmatic list of retirees than be
lower down the finish list than is expected of them. Another category is the
drop-outs from being utterly knackered. Now this can conceal a multitude of
causes from going down with a nasty attack of something and never should have
started to the dire effects of clubbing into the early hours. Most usually
though it comes from just being not fit enough to cope with the physicality of
the course which is perhaps cause for a little bit of regret that you entered
the brown rather than the orange.
We come now to a range of circumstances, some more
extenuating than others, that have a certain plausibility. Lost map is a good
one, as is lost dibber – a certain carelessness there though. Then there is
equipment failure such as disintegrated shoe or trouser elastic expiry. By far
the most acceptable reason in this category is injury through going at it with
gusto, which can result in key body parts being broken or sprained, flesh torn,
eyes pierced etc. To cap it all we must recognise that getting stuck in a bog
whether or not someone comes to your aid is a very good reason. No doubt
readers will be familiar with many other reasons to retire not here mentioned.
Suffice it to conclude that giving explanatory reasons for retirements in
results would be quite onerous.
Neil Forrest
Thanks for asking …
On Feb 25th last year
I ran in a National Orienteering event on the
She put me to bed. It took me
two weeks to be able to move. And it has taken eleven months to be back where I
am …. Post Viral Chronic Fatigue … I am told I have. Some days are great …
others not so. My sports psychologist
says it is difficult to treat in athletes as they just don’t understand about
pacing! I have had every test you can imagine and some more. It is not good and
I was not prepared for it and I still am not. It was especially awful for Kay
who has had to put up with me and pacify my frustrations.
On my good days now I can walk
and jog and perform because the adrenaline does the work and the serotonin
tries to get through… but afterwards the way down is often slippery and long.
It is all a matter of training and pacing (something as an athlete I am
hopeless at … my body knows how to over-ride all pain and fatigue). Today I
walked./stumbled/jogged around
Many people have asked after me
and wondered and to them – thank you for your concern, and kind words, they will
and do help a great deal – I am on the way back but recognise that the route
may not be the easiest. I know from experience over the last few months that I
will probably have to pay a price for today’s enjoyment (always was it the
case) but the tiredness will be balanced against the excitement and enjoyment
of being out orienteering again with friends.
So ………. thanks for asking
Doug Dickinson
STOP PRESS
JK Results
DVO had some good results in the
JK combined days 2&3 with class wins for Jessica Beresford (W12B), Anne
Marie Duckworth (W40S) and Liz Godfree (W60L).
Others who finished in the top
ten of their class were: Erin Malley 4th (W20L), Kath Whitehead 9th
(W50S), Pauline Ward 4th (W60L), Simon Wright 2nd (M16B),
Paul Beresford 7th (M35S), Dave Skidmore 7th (M60S).
Congratulations to all of you and all other club finishers
who braved the atrocious weather over the weekend.
Ed.
CONGRATULATIONS to BILL
WOODWARD who was 80 on 23rd January, and is thus DVO’s first
M80. Bill, together with Winifred,
joined DVO in the 1970s and planned and organized his first event at Cromford
Moor in February 1976. Bill hopes to run his first DVO event as an M80 –
perhaps Bottom Moor (once known as Matlock East) in May, or even Cromford Moor
in September.
DVO SHOP – for all your Club kit
We are looking for
someone to take over this retailing enterprise as we have been doing it for a
few years now. This could be a sales outlet at events as before or an
opportunity for an enterprising geek to develop an on-line facility for
viewing and ordering stuff. Please discuss if you are tempted. (01629 734307) In the meantime we
have…….. |
Trimtex O
tops
£28
‘O’
Tops – non mesh – sizes 2,3,4,6,7 £15
-
full mesh – sizes 3,4,5,6,7 £19
Polo
shirts – adults – S,M,L,XL £10.50
- children’s – ages 3/4;5/6;7/8;9/11 £7.50
Trousers –
sizes 1-7
£11.50
Sweatshirts
– adults S,M,L,xl £12
- children’s – ages 5/6;7/8;9/11 £8
DVO car
stickers
50p
Permanent Course Map Packs 75p
We try to
get to most events but please feel free to ring or email your order to Viv Macdonald (01629 734307 or r.macdonald@shu.ac.uk